


Dreams of Yesterday

by orphan_account



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Blood and Violence, Emotional Hurt, Eventual Romance, Gen, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-07 05:02:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15211733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: In the heart of the technological Babylon of the world, Hank Anderson finds himself in Metropolis to arrest the elusive Dr. Elijah Kamski for organ trafficking. In a series of events, Hank comes face to face with the mysterious Connor where their fates soon become entwined amid corruption and revolution.





	1. Heaven's Boundless Arc

**Author's Note:**

> omg hi idk i was really compelled to write a fic for some reason... this is based on metropolis (2001) and it's a good movie pls watch it... i've altered some things from the original story of course LOL!!! i haven't played DBH but i love hankcon... my wig is in shambles bc of these two... their power!! ok!! anyways if u like this pls let me know i love to scream about these two... mostly bc i am unsure if i want to write this thing out to the end O_o i love and welcome critique!!! ok i hope y'alls like this!! sorry for the stupid rambling bye!! 
> 
> ps i'll update tags n stuff as this goes along?? lemme know if i missed anything thanks!!!!

The throes of celebration were loud and obnoxious. It did nothing but irritate Hank Anderson, a scowl permanently embedded into his features. He and his partner, Detective Jeffrey Fowler, were currently stuck in a thick crowd of extravagantly dressed folks. It was a sea of expensive silks, furs, and cashmere. Everyone was dressed to the nines. The jewelry of the crowd sparkled in the dying glimmers of the fireworks that fizzled away in a shower of colors. Hank tried moving forward but everyone around him refused to budge. He huffed in annoyance at being forced to watch the fireworks show for now. A few people ahead of him, Jeffrey had the same expression as Hank, his arms crossed in defeat.

The fireworks were nonstop since they got off the train to Metropolis. After a tiring eight hour train ride, Hank wanted nothing more than to sleep, the aches in his joints needed nothing more than to lay motionless for a minimum of ten hours. He watched the fireworks deeply unimpressed. It was just a bunch of cool sparkles that did nothing but pollute the air even more so, they were completely wasteful and useless. As the crowd crooned in awe at the show, Hank couldn’t help but roll his eyes. The only thing of note was the different colored fireworks blasting, everyone was acting like they’d never seen fireworks before. The crowd was completely enraptured by the show, it made Hank sick.

Their world was so fake and distracted by the decay and despair around them. It was Hank’s first trip to Metropolis, a city that produced controversial headlines in every form of media daily. From the highest rates of unemployment to secret military weapons, it was primarily the opulent lifestyle of the rich that made most of the headlines. The world’s richest people seemed to live and thrive in the city that was built on the unhappiness and suffering of those below their surface. An open secret to the world, but hardly ever highlighted upon in the news. Some city officials were probably bribing the news stations to keep that kind of information on the down low. Hank’s home town of Detroit wasn’t a haven of sanctity in any shape or form, but there were confrontations and talks of the problems that plagued their city. Metropolis just seemed to ignore their problems by blasting fireworks on a weekly basis. All the buildings in the city looked to be carved from gold and bronze, like statues. Unmoving and strong. There was an unspoken power that seemed to radiate from the city.

Hank felt a tap on his shoulder, Jeffrey had managed to push his way past people, with disgust on their faces. He gestured for Hank to follow him, a small path being made by Jeffrey pushing people away roughly. As they slowly made their way to their hotel, a loud roar of applause exploded from the crowd, causing the duo to stop in their tracks. On a golden balcony, dozens of spotlights were shining on it, with important looking people standing atop of it.  
  
“There’s the president of Metropolis,” Jeffrey said, matter-of-factly as he lit up a cigarette. Hank stared at the president’s garish outfit of purple silk and shook his head at the atrocity the man wore as an outfit. How someone–who was supposed to be the goddamn president–could seriously wear that outfit in public had bravery. Hank could appreciate the no-fucks-given attitude but that was about it. “And the woman next to him, is Amanda Stern, the CEO of CyberLife.”

Unlike the president, Amanda Stern was dressed in a conservative black and white garb, her posture immaculate and her aura was confident in a way that wasn’t arrogant. It seemed like it was just her natural state. She had a steady gaze over the crowd, her hands held in front of her in an elegant manner. The president was waving wildly to the crowd, but Amanda offered nothing to the crowd but her presence. Hank studied her for a moment, but wasn’t sure what he was looking for. He just had a feeling about her forming in his gut. Whether it was good or not, he had no idea yet.  
  
He was about to ask Jeffrey more about Amanda, but an echoed voice broke out on floating speakers. “Welcome, dear citizens. To our latest celeration of technological advancements! Our great society has once again proved to the world that we are the greatest in every aspect of modern civilization! The newly built Ziggurat has just been completed!! But did you all enjoy our fantastic fireworks show?”  
  
The crowd screamed in approval, dozens of fists pumping in the air ecstatically. The glee in the announcer’s voice could be heard clearly. “Good, good! There’ll be more of that this coming week. But first, we’ll be taking and answering some questions from some of our best reporters!” A pause was given, and soon several, new voices spoke at once in an incomprehensible garbled noise. Cameras flashed repeatedly, not unlike the fireworks. Hank didn’t feel envious of anyone in the balcony at all. Just the lights from down below were painful to look at.  
  
“Amanda, will you soon be heading into politics?” Said a young woman into a microphone. She seemed a little flustered but determined to get an answer. Her khaki pantsuit was the most understated outfit Hank had seen all night.  
  
Amanda answered calmly, her voice stable and expressionless. She seemed to be a collected person. “I don’t think so, I’ll leave that to our president. He’s a much more capable man than I am.”

The president smiled widely and hideously at the comment. He smoothed the thin hair on his head and took a bow, which caused another barrage of flashes from the cameras.  
  
Someone else spoke into the microphone, a young man with a tilted trilby hat in a garish cyan blue color. “What exactly is the Ziggurat? What is inside of it? Is it a weapon?”

Which was a great question to ask, just what the hell was this mysterious Ziggurat anyways? Hank wondered silently. They hadn’t put it on display anywhere, which seemed bizarre given that there was a huge celebration for the damn thing. While Hank and Jeffrey were not in Metropolis to investigate the Ziggurat, Hank would do his best to learn more about the creation. They hadn’t even heard of any news of it being created which also set a flag for Hank. Metropolis was all about showing off wealth and intelligence, so why would they keep such a thing hidden for so long?

What exactly were the waiting for? Hank figured that only time would reveal these things. He had a suspicion that they would be finding out in the coming days. He just wanted to know exactly when they would do so.

Before Amanda could answer, a thin man stood in front of her, glistening with sweat under the heat of the lights. “We’d love to answer more questions but that’s all we have time for! Thanks for stopping by everybody!”  
  
The reporters burst into a chorus of questions, but Amanda and everyone else were being guided away from the ruckus. A series of high pitched screams broke out in the crowd, overpowering the cacophony of inquiries.  
  
“Look, look!” People shouted, in fear and astonishment at the sight of a single spotlight being lit onto one of the golden buildings. There was a strange symbol in the middle of the spotlight. It was the shape of a dragon-like creature, with a lion-esque tail and sharp horns on its head. Hank had never seen an animal like it, nor had he ever seen a depiction of such a stylized animal. Jeffrey frowned and flicked his cigarette butt onto the ground.  
  
“It’s the Marduks,” a voice cried out from behind Hank. “That’s the symbol of the Marduks.”  
  
The spotlight was quickly powered down, and another, smaller spotlight was soon focused on a figure running away from the vandalized spotlight. Angry shouts above rang out, and the vandal soon fell off the building in a rush to escape. The vandal landed violently onto a car, glass shattering instantly like rain. They seemed undeterred by such an incredible fall, but limped weakly away from the car. The crowd parted away from the figure, who was then recognized to Hank as a robot. Its pearl white exterior was fragmented in some places, but appeared to just be cosmetic damage.  
  
The horde of people watched on, unable to act. Hank felt himself step forward in the exact moment that several shots rang out. The leg of the robot was the first to be utterly demolished, bringing the robot down to the ground. A young, brown haired man approached the robot mercilessly as it dragged itself away. Even from the distance he was at, Hank could spot a smirk on the man’s face as he aimed at the robot’s back. He let it crawl on for a few more seconds pointlessly and opened fire once again. White plastic and blue blood danced in the air as the light of the gun went off and off.  
  
Hank had to look away at the sight of such a vicious death was upsetting to him even at his age. The young man waved his gun around in the air in some sort of strange congratulatory celebration for himself and said nothing as he walked away from the scene. As he if hadn’t committed such a brutal act of murder. Hank then noticed he was wearing a distinct uniform of red and black. A red bandana on his arm with the Marduk symbol on it. The young man turned around, as if to look at Hank and put on sunglasses despite it being nighttime. Soon, other similarly dressed Marduks came to the remains of the robot where they cleaned up the scene, urging citizens away from the area. Jeffrey put a comforting hand of Hank’s shoulder, his face sympathetic.  
  
“Let’s head to our hotel, we’re gonna need the sleep.” Jeffrey uttered quietly, he seemed to be largely unbothered by the events. But this wasn’t his first trip to Metropolis, so Hank assumed this was probably a commonplace event. He followed Jeffrey wordlessly to their hotel, slipping easily through the dissipating throng.

 

+

 

Amanda walked steadily towards the pod, placing her hand on the thick, cold glass. “You said it would be ready last week,” She paused to turn around to look at Kamski silently. Her gaze emitted a power that put him on edge, her displeasure and judgement clear as day. “I don’t like to be kept waiting, Elijah. I suppose you have an explanation for the delay.”  
  
Kamski returned his own gaze, even and unrelenting, “Yes. The process cannot be rushed in any way or his systems would overheat and he would explode. He’s the first of his kind so I’ve had to make adjustments to my methodology.” He ran his hand over the top of his greased hair, his gaze turned to the pod. “But the extra wait will be worth it. You’ll see soon enough.”

“And you’re not using real organs are you?” Amanda asked, outwardly satisfied with his answer.  
  
“Hm. Yes and no,” Kamski hummed as he looked down at his notebook. He smoothed the frayed pages absentmindedly. “I call them biocomponents. They’re a mixture of real organs and technology. So they last much longer than regular organs, but not as long as mechanical organs. I found this to be the best balance for what we’re looking for in an android.”

Amanda only nodded in reply, not looking away from the glass pod that contained the android. Amanda was the most composed person he’d ever met in his life thus far. She was ruthless, conniving when necessary, and fiercely intelligent. Her renown was so widespread, that upon hearing her name she was the first Amanda people would think of. It was terrifying, but it captivated Kamski. Her influence had served Kamski well, protecting him from many illicit situations time and time again. He was able to mostly work on his projects without issue, with most authority figures turning a blind eye once they realized who Kamski was and who he worked for. Soon, he’d able to operate freely and get back to his personal projects once this current job was finished. However, Amanda’s weekly visits were something he did not invite or enjoy. Kamski felt smothered by her constant questions and monitoring. She clearly wanted to understand his work fully, wanting to know the ins and outs just as well as he did, but he found it to be so stifling to be asked so many questions!  
  
“That is all,” Amanda finally responded, her tone dismissive. “I want to be clear I’m only giving you this final extension. Make it count, Elijah.”  
  
“Of course,” Kamski said tersely. Amanda was the only person who had the gall to use his first name, she didn’t even have the decency to tack on a the title of “doctor” anywhere. But no matter, once he was finished with his creation, he would have no use for her any longer. Amanda was starting to get too comfortable with Kamski, overstepping bounds as each progression went on. It was getting on his nerves. As Amanda walked away, her steps barely echoing the chambers, he could feel the scowl growing on his face.  
  
Why exactly was he letting her have his creation? Did she even realize the kind of perfection that Kamski had produced? Amanda didn’t seem to appreciate the time and effort and energy and resources that went into this little project of her’s–no–his… Kamski had gotten involved deeply into underground rings he never knew actually existed. Those scumbags knew his face, the kind of work he was doing, too many people knew too fucking much about him. He was sick of it all. Even if Amanda had given him such freedoms he would never have gotten anywhere else, she kept Kamski on a tight leash. Kamski stared at the pod and the body floating inside of it peacefully. He decided in that moment that he would rush to finish production tonight. Kamski would take his creation and run away from this horrid city. He would really give Amanda something to be sorry about.

 

+

 

Hank and Jeffrey stood in one of the most ostentatious rooms they’d ever seen. The floor was a deep green marble color that was so clean, Hank could see his reflection in the ground as they stood in the office of the superintendent of Metropolis. The furniture of the room was cherry oak and looked to be European. Hank couldn’t even begin to imagine the sheer cost of the velvety chair alone. The giant window behind the superintendent's was framed in a gothic gold frame. Mounting the view fancifully in a decorated fashion. They stood in front of the desk of the superintendent, as a stout, old man was stamping approvals onto a large stack of papers. He was wearing a prim, cream suit with a taste jewel-toned purple tie. The suit alone looked like it costed more than Hank's salary in a month.   
  
Jeffrey cleared his throat respectfully, but the superintendent said nothing as he continued to stamp stack after stack. Narrowing his eyes, Hank spoke gruffly, “Sir, we’re here about Dr. Elijah Kamski.”  
  
After another moment of silence, the superintendent looked up at the duo. “Oh, yes. And you believe he’s hiding here in the city?” His voice clearly uninterested and far away. He brought his gaze back down to a paper where he paused to read it before dramatically stamping it.   
  
“We don’t believe it,” Hank clarified, he hated dealing with eggheads more than anyone else. “We know he’s here. There are dozens of warrants out for his arrest for human experimentation, organ trafficking, and other illegal activities. All we need from your is your cooperation. Sir.”  
  
“Oh, I’d love to help you out, but my staff and I have our hands full with the celebrations this week,” The superintendent sighed loudly. His voice sounded tired, as if stamping papers all day was the most burdened task in the city. “However, if you’re okay with it I can lend you a robot from the station to help. He’s got a knack for detective work.”  
  
“A robot doing detective work?” Hank asked incredulously, crossing his arms. “You’re kidding.”  
  
“No, no, I assure you he’s very good at his job.” The superintendent said with a wave of his hands, now slightly interested in the conversation. “Just take this card down to the police station and they’ll give you the exact model I’m talking about.”  
  
A fancy, cream colored cardstock note was handed to Hank. In embossed text read a simple _RK900_.     
  
“Is that it?” Jeffrey asked, peering over Hank’s shoulder to stare at the card. Hank flipped the card on the other side to find it blank.   
  
“Yes. That’s it, now run along you two,” His wrinkled hand shooed them away. A beautiful woman stepped into the office at that moment to escort them to the entrance of the building. She gave them straightforward directions to the police station and shut the door behind them as they left, the doors booming with a close.  
  
“What a prick,” Hank commented, looking back at the lurid building in distaste. Jeffrey only snorted in response. The police station wasn’t far from the superintendent’s office. As they walked into the station, Hank realized how strangely empty it was. There was only one person at a small desk, who looked utterly bored out of his mind. Hank handed the officer the fancy card and the officer began to type into his computer quickly. This was probably the most action the poor guy got in a day.  
  
“It can’t arrest anybody, so that’ll be left to you two,” The officer informed them. “But it’s pretty good at its job, I’ll give it that.”  
  
“We don't need to return him with a full tank, do we?” Hank joked lightly with a grin. The officer smiled weakly in response.  
  
“Nah, that model only needs to be refueled every five years.”

A door behind the officer’s desk opened and a white robot, not dissimilar to the one Hank saw killed last night, emerged in black and white trench coat. The label RK900 in a glowing blue material stood out on its jacket, denoting its robotic status. It wore a hat, to conceal that it had no hair underneath. It was a lot more bare bones aesthetically than Hank was expecting.    
  
The officer looked at RK900, muttering, “Won’t have a need for us anymore soon, huh?” As he went back to sitting at his desk to do God knows what.  
  
Hank stared awkwardly at the robot. He’d never had an interaction in the workplace with a robot like this before. He stuck his hand out, introducing himself, “The name’s Hank Anderson. Nice to, uh, meet you.”

RK900 glanced down at Hank’s proffered hand, and removed its hat, “I’m model RK900 number 313 248 317 - 51. How do you do?” It stuck its hand out in a disjointed manner and shook Hank’s hand in a strange motion. It seemed unsure of what to do, like no one had ever introduced themselves before to it.  
  
RK900 and Jeffrey exchanged their own stilted pleasantries and the three left the station hurriedly. Outside, the sun shone brightly, warming Hank’s face. On the streets, shiny cars were stuck bumper to bumper in intense traffic. The sidewalks were just as crowded with people milling about in no rush. The buildings gleamed in the sunlight, as if they grew to be even taller in the light. Finding shade under a bridge, the trio walked silently.  
  
“So, uh, RK900 three one… two…” Hank trailed off, not remembering the robot’s full model number.  
  
“313 248 317 - 51.” It finished in reply, unbothered by Hank’s bumbling attempt.  
  
“Right. You don’t have anything shorter we can call you?” Hank asked, rubbing at his neck. There was no way it it would be convenient to shout such a series of numbers in a moment of emergency. Or just in general.  
  
“No, we aren’t permitted to have anything shorter, as it fringes upon human rights.” the robot explained plainly, as if such a fact was obvious. Jeffrey rolled his eyes at that and put his hands in his pockets.  
  
“Why don’t we just call you Nines,” Jeffrey suggested lightly. “It’ll be easier for us to remember. And that’s your job isn’t it? To make our lives easier?”  
  
The robot considered this for a moment, its eyes seemed to be deep in thought. “Very well,” it nodded. “You may refer to me as ‘Nines’ if you wish.”  
  
“We will, very much so, Nines,” Hank sighed in relief. Jeffrey was always quick to come up with something.  
  
“You two are quite interesting,” Nines said, studying the two men. “Out of all the humans I’ve worked with, you’re the first to ever suggest such a thing to me. This was something I had never considered before in my calculations about human behavior. This changes a few things for me.”  
  
Hank and Jeffrey gave each other a look, and shrugged. “You’re welcome, Nines.”  
  
Hank wanted to use the robot’s new name as much as possible. It felt kind of wrong in a way, to be the first to name a being that had been functioning for several years at this point. It made Nines a little bit more… realistic? If such a thing was even possible. In Detroit, robots were only starting to be introduced for the more menial jobs in society. There was still uproar about the situation in the city, so to be able to work so closely with a robot like this for Hank was unusual but not entirely unwelcome. As he thought about it more Hank wanted to forget he was working with a robot. It was a scary thought. If this robot was really as good as the superintendent said he was, then Hank’s future was looking dim if robots were able to surpass humans in every career field. What was the point of having humans around at all if robots could outclass humans in every conceivable way. He was getting too lost in his thoughts, and needed a distraction.  
  
Passing by a bar, Hank couldn’t help but smile at a welcome sight. “Why don’t we take a well deserved break?”  
  
“But we haven’t even started anything,” Nines interjected, as Jeffrey and Hank walked towards the bar.  
  
“Shut up, Nines,” Hank sighed, “Why don’t we bond for a few minutes, huh? And I need a drink. Badly.”


	2. Salut d’Amour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WOW hi.. this took me a while but this chap is longer than the last one!!! and kind of a lot happens O_O omg...!! also, apologies for any OOCness.. i kinda went Wild with the gavin and kamski bit... ugh i hate them both but fandom rly made me like them ilu guys for making these guys way more interesting than He-Whomst-Shalt-Not-Be-Named!!!!! sorry for the delay in the chap btw.. it took me like 6 days to write 900 words then all of a sudden at midnight i cranked out 3k+.... ugh my MIND.
> 
> and thank u for the lovely comments, kudos, and love!!! ^_^<3<3 it's much appreciated. yall give me more fuel than bananas... thank ye for ye service...
> 
> edit: i decided i wanted chapter titles... they take longer to write than the actual content itself LOL!!!!

The bar was dimly lit and grimy. Just how Hank liked it.    
  
“If I may,” Nines started, resting his palms flat on the table. “Assembling what knowledge we’ve gathered on the doctor would be of the utmost importance. I, personally, do not believe he could be hiding in Metropolis. It’s too risky a move.”   
  
“But our sources–” Hank countered, but Nines soon interrupted him.   
  
“I said he could not be hiding in Metropolis,” Nines repeated swiftly, his eyes directly on Hank. The robot’s gaze was harsh and analytical, it was unnerving to be upon. “I believe he would be in Zone 1.”   
  
“Zone 1?” Jeffrey asked flatly. “I thought the zones were just rumors.”   
  
“No. They very much exist,” Nines answered. “The only way Metropolis can function as a glitzy high roller is through the imbalance of power and wealth of those in the zones. Zone 1 is underground, it’s easy to miss by tourists. And you need a special pass to proceed through them of course.”   
  
“Well, aren’t you an impressive detective,” Hank mocked, down his drink too quickly. He could feel Jeffrey’s hard glower on him, which was way worse than Nines’ inhuman glaring. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and grinned.   
  
“Hardly,” Nines dismissed the comment, not realizing Hank wasn’t being sincere. “It’s all calculation of probabilities you see–”   
  
“Right, right,” Hank interjected, sighing. He decided to steer the conversation back to the subject of the doctor. “Our notes on Kamski. He’s been tinkering on the edge of the law for some time now. He’s somehow gotten a free pass to operate uninterrupted–my guess is that CyberLife CEO or the president is involved somehow–the damn lunatic has been dabbling in organ trafficking for way too long for them not to know. The doctor has been evading the authorities at the same time, so he’s either got a hidden lab somewhere more elusive, like somewhere in Zone 1.”   
  
“There have been some reports of him working on robots recently, but the details are scarce,” Jeffrey added, stirring the ice in his water around. “Which is bizarre seeing as he got his start in robotics. Besides the fact that his laboratory is hidden, Dr. Kamski is clearly working on something big that is secretive for a reason.”   
  
Nines nodded, and the LED on his head turned a yellow color before reverting to blue. “I scanned our archives on him. Strangely enough, they are quiet barren on him. If his reports are being erased or not being entered into our system, this would point into the direction of someone powerful being involved with hiding his movements.”   
  
Outside, a loud series of shots and the screeching of tires halted their conversation. The trio ran outside, as did the other patrons, much to the chagrin of the only human bartender who was screaming at them to pay their tabs.    
  
They ran to the sight of a small crowd in front of a department story building, several stories high. Hank could see the symbol from last night on a truck. Marduks were involved, which could only mean...

Atop the entrance of the department store was a colorful, animatronic clown, waving happily. Its sole purpose to to entice people into the store. It was kind of creepy to Hank, but had a peculiar charm to it. Or it would have if it didn’t have a giant, gaping hole in its head. From the hole, a robot emerged from the hole and fell to the ground ferociously. The loud clang of the descent sounded painful. Several women shrieked, as if they had been the ones shot at. 

The Marduks took their guns out and pointed at the doomed robot, shooting away as if it were an enemy. Some people in the crowd cheered on excitedly as if it were entertainment. After several rounds of gunfire, two Marduks grabbed the robot’s parts and dumped them into the truck.

“Robots are only allowed to operate in special zones,” Nines explained, who only watched as they hauled the robot away. “That robot did not have the indicated serial number to be operating at the surface level. It doesn’t happen often of course. We refer to those robots as Deviants.”   
  
“They have a mind of their own?” Hank asked, wondering how the hell a robot was able to accomplish such a task.

“In a sense, yes. They somehow cancel out their programming and execute something similar to a free will. But we both know such a think can’t exist in a robot. It’s an unexplained and misunderstood… phenomena I suppose.” Nines replied coolly. It almost sounded like the robot was disgusted by such a thing, but Hank was probably interpreting too much into it.  

“At any rate, just who are the Marduks?” Jeffrey questioned, rubbing his chin in thought. “Their uniforms signify they’re a serious and valid group. There’s no way that unapproved vigilantes would operate in such a public manner.”   
  
Nines motioned for them to follow him, and they walked away from the shops and closer to alleys and small apartments.   
  
“Hm, they did kind of start out that way. They were a political group when they were introduced into the city. As you can see, people on the surface adore the works robots do but hate them vehemently on principle. The sentiment is worse in the lower zones, as the humans view robots as the ones who stole menial labor from them.” Nines clarified in a level tone. The robot sounded as if he had no opinion on the matter. 

As they approached an elevator, the guard narrowed his eyes at the strange ternion. “Pass?” He asked gruffly just as Nines flashed him a card as if out of thin air. He nudged his head for them to pass through a door. Beyond the door was a large room of red light with several armed guards roaming the room. It was pretty excessive in Hank’s opinion, seeing as they were the only three going down below. He doubted movement between the levels was common, but they probably wanted to keep everyone separated through any means necessary.   
  
“As you can see, movements between the levels is completely restricted,” Nines described, as the elevator went to the bottom swiftly. “Without the pass there isn’t a way for one to get through the zones in this manner. Of course, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Sometimes, people help robots to the surface level, though it’s also a rare occurrence.”   
  
“I can’t wait to get out of here,” Hank scoffed, as they left the elevator and into Zone 1. “Detroit is far from perfect, I’m aware of that. But the way this city runs… everything about it is wrong.”   
  
Zone 1 was a stark contrast to the surface level of Metropolis. The buildings were in bright, saturated hues of every color, adding a cheapness to the feel of the zone. The buildings in Hank’s opinion made optimal use of space however, as all the architecture looked to be thoughtfully put together. Like they were building blocks of sorts. Zone 1 was the unseen foundation for the glitz and the glamour of the city above. It did share a similarity to Metropolis’ surface though with all the buildings being humongous.   
  
“Zone 1 isn’t very dangerous,” Nine said, continuing to lead them down a path past food vendors and loiterers, down a dark staircase. “But there are places where even the police do not venture. I advise you both to be careful around such areas.”   
  
“Like we’d do that,” Jeffrey snorted. “We’re sticking out damn noses wherever we want, we’re not tourists.”   
  
Hank nodded in agreement, always admiring Jeffrey’s tenacity for justice and the truth. He flashed Jeffrey a thumbs up, while Nines just stared at them both with a blank expression.   
  
“As you wish,” He replied simply.

  
  
\+ 

 

Gavin Reed walked down the hallway, not giving a fuck about being silent anymore. He was done with that shit, Gavin was here to put an end to whatever the fuck that prick Elijah was doing. All he knew about this shithole was that Amanda had been visiting the freak here for several months now. She had often shared Gavin in on her plans, but this one she was tight lipped about, dismissing Gavin every time he brought it up. It got on his fucking nerves. Gavin deserved to know just what the fuck was going on here.    
  
The door opened up swiftly as he walked up to it. He balked inwardly at the thing in the pod.    
  
“What the fuck,” Gavin barked, as he walked up to the pod. “Is that?”   
  
“Um, what the hell are you doing here?” Kamski replied. He really didn’t like Gavin. How this trigger-happy, boisterous ingrate of a human was the head of the “esteemed” Marduks puzzled Kamski, but he had no energy to devote to that topic anymore. Amanda had just left. So why was this ape still around?   
  
“I asked you first,” Gavin sneered, sparing a disgusted look from the pod to Kamski. “Is that a fucking human? The fuck are you doing here you sick bastard?”   
  
Kamski rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. “What, did Amanda not tell you? If she wanted you to know, then you’d know.”   
  
Gavin growled in response. “Don’t make me ask again.”   
  
“Then don’t,” Kamski replied in a clipped tone. “I’m busy, you can go now.”   
  
“I’m fucking  _ talking _ to you, prick,” Gavin snarled, his hand instinctively reaching for his gun. He was itching to beat this nerd’s face in. How dare he talk to Gavin, the Gavin Reed as if here were a fucking nobody. “I don’t know how you’ve got Amanda wrapped around your stubby fingers, but you’re not fooling me. What the fuck are you doing here?”   
  
As annoying as Gavin was, riling him was amusing. It kind of turned Kamski on in a sick way, knowing he had more trust in Amanda than Gavin did. As far as Kamski knew, Gavin saw himself as some sort of surrogate son to Amanda. She saw Gavin as a useful nuisance with too much loyalty to give. But he was useful. Why Gavin clung to a woman like Amanda, Kamski had no idea. And he didn’t really care either. He just couldn’t comprehend how someone as idiotic and impulsive as Gavin held Amanda to such a high regard.   
  
Kamski smirked cruelly at Gavin, he slid off of his chair to walk next to Gavin and stare at his soon-to-be-finished creation. “Goodness, well, I guess Amanda is leaving the honor of explanation to me. This is Connor. He’s the first android in the world. And he’ll be the one at the helm of the Ziggurat.”   
  
At that, Gavin whipped his head to look at Kamski incredulously. “You’re shittin’ me, no he is not. That is Amanda’s role. Shut the fuck up.”   
  
“Gavin, why would I lie?” Kamski probed, a thrill of glee running through him at Gavin’s distress. “He was engineered for the sole purpose of that, and the Ziggurat was created for him. Don’t tell me you really had no idea?”   
  
Gavin felt himself snap at that, and he pointed his gun directly at Kamski. “How many times do I need to tell you to shut the fuck  _ UP _ .    
  
“Gavin, just ask Amanda. I promise you she’ll say the same thing as I did,” Kamski retorted. Gavin was so immature, he couldn’t wait for the moron to just storm out and leave Kamski alone so he could finish up his project.   
  
Gavin just squinted at Kamski, lowering the gun. Finally the idiot was seeing some sort of logic. Kamski walked over slowly to his seat, his eyes never leaving Gavin’s gun. The head of the Marduks stood in place silently, looking down at the ground as if he were in defeat. As Kamski turned back to persist with his work, he heard the gun go off. He turned his head in horror to see that the fucking fool had fired at Connor’s pod.   
  
“Are you out of your mind,” Kamski shouted, banging on the center console. “Are you really going to destroy the project I’ve been working on for months? The one that Amanda asked for?”   
  
He watched the gun in Gavin’s hands tremble at his comment. Kamski opened his mouth to say more, but Gavin turned to look at him. His face twisted in a demented expression. What the hell was wrong with this guy?   
  
Gavin opened fire on Kamski. One, two, three times. Kamski groaned in pain, Gavin’s sick facial features imprinted on his mind before he blacked out from the pain. As Kamski fell, Gavin fired more shots at the thing in the pod, feeling adrenaline rush through him as alarms blared through the lab. He watched bubbles rush out of the thing’s mouth. Good riddance. That abomination should have never been brought into this world.   
  
Gavin murmured what little scriptures he remembered as he sprayed more shots into the machinery around the room. He procured a matchbox from his pockets, lighting and dropping them around as he made his escape out of the lab.    
  
On his way out in an alley, he bumped into a young man who shouted obscenities at him, but Gavin paid him no mind. He wouldn’t let some poor, bumbling fuck ruin his high.    
  
“Asshole,” The man muttered, annoyed. The smell of fire soon became the focus of his attention as he noticed smoke coming from the direction of the abandoned laboratory. “F-FIRE!” He shouted, running through the alley and streets in warning. Was that asshole the one who started it? He was wearing a Marduk uniform, it couldn’t have been anybody else.

 

+

  
  
As the trio was talking with a local, they heard the shouts of commotion going on. A siren was blaring nearby. Jeffrey and Hank nodded to each other, with Nines just blinking at the two. They followed the crowd to the source of clamor. Bits of conversation flowed freely amongst the horde of people.   
  
“It’s a fire!”   
  
“Huh, hasn’t been one of those in a long while.”   
  
“Shit, where is it?”   
  
“Near that old lab!”   
  
Hank’s ears perked at that. They had a potential few leads to different labs, but a laboratory on fire had to mean someone was trying to hide something or burn evidence. From a distance, Hank was astonished by the sheer size of the laboratory. This was a huge facility, and it was quickly burning away. They’d be lucky if there was enough leftover to examine for a clear clue. 

“I saw the culprit,” A young man said. He had tanned skin, and was wearing grey. “I think he was trying to kill us.”   
  
Another young man spoke up, this time a lanky blond. “Markus is right! They probably think we’re garbage. Well, they won’t get rid of us that easily.”   
  
A redhead interjected, passionately, “What are we waiting for? Let’s fight back!”   
  
“Please remain calm,” Nines said, inserting himself into the situation too quickly. “Firefighting robots are on the way. Now, please step back to let them do their jobs.”

“Woah, what is a robot doing here?” The redheaded woman asked. She got right up in Nines’ space and pushed him, as if he were nothing. 

  
“All right, that is enough,” Hank scolded, getting in front of Nines. “This isn’t the time to be fighting, just listen!”   
  
At that moment, the firefighting units showed up, inelegantly shoving people out of the way to blast water at the fire. They stacked upon one another to get more leverage and aim higher at the burning building.   
  
“Why was this building in particular set on fire?” Jeffrey asked aloud, staring at the laboratory as if it would reveal all its secrets if he stared hard enough.   
  
“There was some guy running in and out of there a lot,” The lanky blond replied. “I mean, it’s abandoned, but maybe he made it his home?”   
  
“A guy?” Jeffrey asked, his attention now directed to the blond. “Was he a younger fella? With dark hair and an undercut?”   
  
“With that filthy looking bun?” The redhead countered. “Yeah, sounds like him.”   
  
“Nines, stay here,” Hank blurted out quickly as he began to sprint towards the building, Jeffrey hot on his heels as he shouted a quick thanks to the crowd. They got close to the entrance when Hank noticed it.

“Fuck, there’s someone in there still,” Hank grimaced, noticing a figure standing at a window. It was on the second story. He hoped that either he or Jeffrey could get to them in time. 

“Go to the other side of the building,” Jeffrey yelled over the roar of the fire. He threw his coat randomly behind him and rolled his sleeves up. “See if there’s a way to get in from somewhere else.”

Hank nodded trusting Jeffrey’s orders. He could feel sweat already rolling down his neck from the heat of the flames intensified by the cheap metal used to build the laboratory. There weren’t any crowds in the back, which a good thing because Hank was only one man who was hardly the heroic type. He didn’t have it in him to make multiple trips to save people, try as he might. If this was really the building that Kamski had been conducting his business in, then the evidence was top priority, or they’d be back to square one.

Ignoring a gym routine for continuous trips to the bars hadn’t done his physique any favors. That initial spring he did was maybe a little bit too much. Hank huffed loudly, if he exerted himself too much now he would be practically useless later on. He needed to preserve some of his energy at least. As he made his way to the back, he saw an entrance for him to enter in. Hank felt relief, but something was overpowering the fire.

Against the red flames stood a glowing green figure near the gaping hole in the wall. For a moment, Hank found himself entranced by the ethereal sight. The figure was moving deliberately and calmly, as if they had no idea they were able to be burned to death. Hank’s stupor was broken as soon as the figure wobbled to the ground. He walked over slowly–ignoring the time crunch–and realized the person was a young man. And also completely naked. The implications of this person’s nudity made Hank grimace, but he couldn’t dwell on the thought for long. He removed his jacket wordlessly and handed it to the young man.    
  
“Are you okay?” Hank coughed stiffly, looking away to give the other the semblance of privacy. He could faintly hear the soft rustling of his jacket being turned inside out. He furrowed his brows at the idea of wearing his worn down leather jacket worn in reverse. 

A part of the ceiling had come crashing down, the boom of it reminding Hank that they really needed to get out of here. Hank reached for the other man’s hand, calling out. “We’ve gotta get outta here!”

The other said nothing in response. He was probably in a deep state of shock right now, too overwhelmed to speak which was fine with Hank. He liked quiet, it would let him focus more on getting the fuck out of this hellfire. As Hank guided them through the way he entered in earlier, more flaming debris fell from above, obscuring the path completely. They were trapped in from one side. Less exits made Hank nervous, especially since he didn’t know the area well. 

  
“Dammit,” Hank spat in anger, his grip tightened on the man’s hand. Hank didn’t want to lose this man, not when they were so close to freedom! Hank accepted that he would have to backtrack to the spot where he met the mysterious man and find a way out from there. Hank tripped on uneven flooring, losing his balance a bit in the process. Hank could feel the floor beneath them give out as the building could no longer support itself any longer. “Hold onto me!” Hank shouted as the floor gave out.

 

Hank shut his eyes as they fell deep below into the depths, feeling darkness take over. 

 

+

 

Jeffrey was able to squeeze in a gap between two pillars. It was hot and he didn’t have much time to explore. He treaded down the hallway quickly, calling out for anyone and straining his ears for a response. At the end of the hallway was an electric door that appeared to be stuck as it was open halfway. Jeffrey peered into the opening to see if anyone was in the room. He couldn’t see everything in the room, but he could see a giant pod in the middle of the room that had been broken open. The room was mildly flooded with some sort of green liquid that was draining out of the pod. Perhaps some sort of creature was in the pod? He didn’t dwell on the thought much as he saw someone lying on the ground nearby.    
  
“Hey,” Jeffrey shouted as loud as he could. “Are you okay? Is there a way for you to get out?”   
  
The person continued to lay motionless, Jeffrey was impatient and attempted to open the door, but it refused to budge. He got on the ground and began to attempt to kick it open, loud bangs erupted as he did so. Jeffrey heard a quiet groan from the body and stopped to look through the opening.    
  
He recognized the person as Dr. Elijah Kamski, who was slowly crawling to the door, clutching a red notebook to his chest. Dr. Kamski was wheezing loudly. It was then that Jeffrey noticed the man was creating a messy trail of blood as he crawled closer to the door. Jeffrey winced at the sight. He probably wasn’t going to make it, but Jeffrey had to damn well try to get him out of here.    
  
“He’s… he’s free,” Dr. Kamski rasped quietly, his voice faint against the bellow of the flames and dying metal. “His life is… here. Take. Take it.”    
  
Dr. Kamski’s hand trembled as he handed the red notebook to Jeffrey, who grabbed the notebook from gingerly. He had no idea what the fuck the doctor was even going on about. Was there something–or somebody–in that leaking pod? It was empty and Jeffrey hadn’t seen signs of anyone else in the room. The gentle thud of Dr. Kamski leaning against the door took Jeffrey out of his thoughts.

  
“Who did this to you?” Jeffrey questioned, tucking the small notebook into his back pocket. “I’m going to try and get you out of here.”   
  
Dr. Kamski breathed out a hoarse laugh at the statement. “Don’t bother,” He replied weakly. “I know… who you are.”   
  
“Doctor,” Jeffrey started, but he didn’t get to speak another word, as the room the doctor was in began to collapse. The ceiling caved in and the machinery around the room burst into another, fresh set of flames. Sparks of green and blue frolicked around the hardware in a violently beautiful way. Jeffrey reluctantly got away the door and ran back, knowing his time for escape was limited. Damn, he didn’t want to leave the doctor behind, but the way things were left Jeffrey with no other choice. He had a feeling that this wasn’t the way this would end for Dr. Elijah Kamski, but he began to focus on the path so that he would live to see the sun again.

Thankfully, the way he had come in was in the same condition as earlier. Jeffrey didn’t believe in God anymore, but he was grateful to whatever holy deity was watching over him. Though they were below the city, the night breeze brushed past Jeffrey, offering a small relief from the heat. He walked towards Nines, who was expressionless as usual amongst the slum dwellers who were somewhat appeased now.   
  
Nines handed him his jacket dutifully. Oh. He had forgotten he thrown it haphazardly during his rush. Jeffrey reached for the red notebook and put it in a secure pocket in the jacket. Nines briefly looked at the notebook, but said nothing. The robot was probably analyzing it, but they could discuss it in length tomorrow. Jeffrey was in dire need of sleep. Badly.

“Have you seen Hank?” Jeffrey asked, as more firefighting robots wheeled up to the scene, combatting the fire quite successfully. If only they’d gotten to the spot sooner. Crimes in Zone 1 didn’t have much precedence or resources like the city above did. 

  
“I have not, sir,” Nines replied, he stood still, his eyes never leaving the building. “Should we be worried?”

Jeffrey only frowned in response. 

 

+   
  
Hank awoke to water being splashed on his face.   
  
“The fuck,” He grumbled, wiping the water off his face. A groan escaped him as he felt a headache beginning to blossom behind his eyes. “God. Where am I?”   
  
He blinked wearily, getting a good look at his surroundings. A giant cleaning bot was holding a small bowl dripping with water. So that was who woke him up. The word SU-MO was painted onto the robot’s head. He had seen the SU-MO line of robots before, they were being trickled into Detroit, albeit very slowly and only in high-rise places. 

“Who are you?” Hank inquired, staring at the young man. The other was just looking upwards at a tiny beam of light coming down from the ceiling. It was like he had never seen something like it before. Hank cleared his throat to get the other’s attention. He then seemed to realize Hank was talking to him, but just stared wordlessly in Hank’s direction. The man’s eyes were oddly glassy, like they were far away, not just from the situation, but from the world.

Hank just stared back. This somehow prompted the other to sit down across from Hank.    
  
“Who are you?” The other man echoed back. His voice was kind of goofy, it was endearing in a way. But was this guy mocking him? That was really the first thing he would say to Hank? 

“Are you fucking with me right now?” Hank deadpanned at the guy. He only received a slow blink in response. “You’re supposed to call yourself “I”,” Hank replied, pointing at the other man as he spoke. “Answer like this, “I am”… So, “I” am who?”

“You are “I”,” He spoke slowly, as if it were his first time speaking. Hank frowned a little deeper. Was he experiencing some form of amnesia as well? Just what the hell was he doing down at the laboratory anyways? Hank had lots of questions, but knew it was better not to overwhelm the stranger after experiencing such shock.   
  
“I… am “who?” The man replied at Hank’s silence. He continued to stare at Hank. He seemed to have forgotten some fucking manners, too.

“That’s right,” Hank praised softly, he had to force himself to give the other an encouraging smile. He hadn’t had to taught someone how to speak in a long while. There’s no way this was the first time he was speaking right? He was an adult for Christ’s sake. “I’m Hank. Hank Anderson.”

“Hank… Anderson,” The man said slowly, his mouth wrapping around Hank’s name like he was unsure of it. He continued to stare at Hank with an empty gaze. His eyes were unnerving to look at. His eyes almost reminded him of Nines’ eyes, except there was something added to them that made them different. The warm brown hues of his eyes appeared murky, clouded over with a soft of emptiness that Hank couldn’t quite explain. Besides his strange eyes, everything else about the man looked normal. Well, except for his nudity. Hank wasn’t sure how to approach that subject appropriately without coming across as a pervert. His old age probably wouldn’t help in that department either.   
  
“Don’t worry, kid,” Hank reassured him. “It’ll all come back to you… hopefully.”

Despite being underground, there were blue tinted lights quietly illuminating their surroundings. Hank examined the other man now that he had time to focus on him. He was… pretty. Unfairly so. Brown hair was coiffed stylishly despite being exposed to insane amounts of heat and wind. He must’ve been using some amazing hair gel. Hank was positive his own hair looked like a rat’s nest after what they went through. The man had a few moles on his face across his face which had to mean he’d been outside for long periods of time at some point. His eyes were droopy, but devoid of any life as strange as that seemed. His brows were full, but not overtly bushy. Maybe he partook in grooming them? They were very clean, unlike Hank’s catwhisker-esque brows. The square face and dimpled chin the other man had, gave him a serious, but approachable look. He had no visible scars or imperfections. It was as if he were crafted in a lab. He checked off a lot of boxes in the attractive field for sure. Which wasn’t weird to think about. Hank coughed awkwardly again.   
  
The SU-MO reappeared with a tray of rotten food. Hank couldn’t help but smile at the sentiment, which was sweet, but there was no way Hank was going to eat any of that. 

  
“Thanks, um, SU-MO,” Hank said earnestly, he scooted back as the tray was brought to his face. It stunk worse than shit. “But we can’t eat this. It’s all rotted.”    
  
The young man crawled closer to SU-MO, examining the tray and looking back at Hank expectantly.    
  
“Food…?” He asked, with a tilt of his head.   
  
“Yeah,” Hank nodded. He mimed the motions as he explained them. “You eat it by putting it in your mouth, chewing it ‘til it’s all mush, and swallowing.”   
  
The young man grabbed a some of the rotted mush, stuck it in his mouth and chewed it. “Like this?”   
  
“Exactly like that,” Hank said, kind of impressed that the other man understood his instructions so well. But then he realized exactly what he did and screeched. “Oh, disgusting! Don’t eat that! You’re gonna get sick now.”   
  
The other man ignored Hank, swallowing the food. He repeated parts of Hank’s sentences in a monotone voice. “Don’t eat that. Get sick. Disgusting.”   
  
The man reached for more rotted food, but Hank slapped his hand away. “Stop that.”   
  
“Stop that,” He repeated, understanding that Hank wanted him to stop. Hank just rubbed his eyes. This was gonna be a long night.

**Author's Note:**

> ok sorry i just couldn't shut up ^_^ i hope my really casual tone in the notes isn't jarring for anyone... i'm just a chill headass... come talk to me on twit!!! i'm hornedrobot :^3 also shoutout to terminallydepraved for naming rk900 Nines.. i like the name a lot.....


End file.
